The Alarming New Data On Distracted Driving

Driving and smartphones *do not* mix.

We all know that looking at a text or checking Facebook while driving is a terrible idea, but new research shows that many people do it anyway. Zendrive, a driving analytics company, looked at data from more than 3 million drivers and 5.6 billion miles of driving and found that drivers used their phones on 88 percent of car rides, according to Wired.

This shocking statistic adds to research showing that a whopping 52 percent of all car crashes are caused by distracted driving. Even a quick glance away from the road dramatically increases your odds of getting into an accident. Wired points to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that found even a “two-second distraction increases your risk of crashing by 20 percent.”

Anti-distracted driving laws and strict enforcement of them are helping a bit, according to the new study, but there’s a lot of room for improvement. Hopefully the Zendrive data will spur a closer look at our larger cultural problem with technology — that it’s addictive by design and this addiction is putting us all at mental and physical risk.

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